How to Test Your Microphone on a Mac
To test your mic on a Mac, open System Settings, click Sound, choose the Input tab and speak. The Input level bars should move with your voice. If they do, the mic works, and any app that still cannot hear you needs permission in Privacy and Security.
Prefer to test in the browser? Our microphone test works in Safari, Chrome and Firefox on any Mac. It adds a level meter in decibels, a background noise readout and a playback recording.
Check the input level in System Settings
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Click Sound in the sidebar.
- Under Output and Input, click the Input tab.
- Select your microphone in the list. MacBooks show MacBook Pro Microphone or MacBook Air Microphone.
- Speak normally and watch the Input level bars.
Use the Input volume slider below the list to raise or lower the level. If the bars stay flat while you talk, the Mac is listening to a different mic, or the mic is muted on the device itself.
On older macOS versions with System Preferences instead of System Settings, the steps are the same: System Preferences, Sound, Input.
Give apps permission to use the mic
macOS asks once per app. If you clicked Don't Allow, the app hears silence until you change it.
- Open System Settings, then Privacy and Security.
- Click Microphone.
- Switch on the apps that should hear you, such as Safari, Chrome, Zoom or Discord.
- Quit and reopen the app. Many apps only pick up the change after a restart.
Browsers add a second gate for each website. In Safari, open Safari, Settings, Websites, Microphone, and set the site to Allow or Ask. In Chrome, click the icon left of the address bar.
Record and play back on a Mac
To hear what you sound like, record a short clip.
- Voice Memos: open it, press the red record button, talk, and play it back.
- QuickTime Player: choose File, New Audio Recording. Use the Options menu next to the record button to pick the microphone.
- In the browser: the mic test with playback records five seconds and plays them back with one click.
Which Macs have a built-in microphone?
| Mac | Built-in mic |
|---|---|
| MacBook Air, MacBook Pro | Yes, usually an array of several mics |
| iMac | Yes |
| Mac mini, Mac Studio, Mac Pro | No. Use a headset, a USB mic or a webcam with a mic. |
If you use a Studio Display or another monitor with a built-in mic, it appears as a separate input in the list.
Voice Isolation and other mic modes
During a video call, macOS can process your mic. Open Control Center while an app uses the mic and click Mic Mode. Voice Isolation removes background noise, Wide Spectrum keeps all the sound in the room, and Standard sits in between. If a call app makes you sound odd, check this setting first. In our test, the Call-style processing switch does a similar job and lets you compare.
Mac mic still not working?
- Bluetooth headsets. AirPods and other headsets switch to a lower-quality mode while their mic is in use. If you only see the headset under Output, disconnect it and connect again.
- Covered mic. MacBook mics sit near the keyboard or speaker grilles. A case, a sticker or your hand on the palm rest can muffle them.
- Restart the Mac. A restart clears a stuck audio system and fixes more strange audio problems than you might expect.
- Test in Safe Mode or another user account to rule out third-party audio software, such as virtual audio devices or voice changers.
For the full list of fixes, from mute switches to background noise, see the mic not working checklist.
Sources
- Apple Support: Control access to the microphone on Mac
Want to know right now whether your mic picks you up? The free test shows your live level and gives a verdict in a few seconds.
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